In order to analyze their performance in a quantifiable manner, athletes will often measure various performance indicators. One class of performance indicators includes time parameters corresponding to an athlete's travel over a distance. For example, a runner may measure the total elapsed time required to run a distance, the elapsed time required to run a segment of a distance, and/or the average time required to run equal segments of a distance. Another class of performance indicator relates to the athlete's own physical parameters. Thus, an athlete may measure his or her heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, or volumetric expansion of his or her lungs while performing an activity like running or biking.
To address the needs of such athletes, some watchmakers manufacture watches that work with a remote sensor device to measure one or more of these performance indicators. For example, some watchmakers manufacture watches that work with a distance monitor. The distance monitor may employ, for example, an accelerometer for measuring each step taken by an athlete. From this information, the monitor (or the associated watch) calculates the distance traveled by a user during a measured time. The watch then displays the measured distance and time. Some watchmakers also manufacturer watches that work with a heart rate monitor. The monitor rests on the user's chest, and electronically detects each of the user's heartbeats. The watch then displays the heart rate measured by the heart rate monitor.
Currently, however, these watches are configured to work with only specific sensors. Thus, if a user with a watch employing a speed/distance monitor also wishes to monitor his or her heart rate or monitor his or her blood pressure, the user cannot add a heart rate monitor or blood pressure monitor for use with his or her watch. Instead, the athlete must separately purchase and use a different watch with a heart rate monitor or blood pressure monitor. If the athlete then desires to measure a third performance indicator, the athlete must separately purchase and use yet another watch with the appropriate sensor. Accordingly, an athlete who wishes to measure multiple performance indicators must purchase and wear a corresponding number of watches, which is impractical and uncomfortable.
Also, as watches that measure athletic performance become more sophisticated, the amount of information gathered and displayed by these watches increases. The use of these watches has correspondingly grown more complex and difficult for a user to master. In particular, it may be difficult for a user to conveniently distinguish specific performance data that the user wishes to monitor from other performance data provided by the watch.
For example, a conventional watch for athletic use may have a variety of different operational modes for conveying different types of information. A watch may have a time or chronometer mode for displaying the current time in both the user's time zone and in another time zone. The same watch may also have a chronographic mode for measuring both a total elapsed time and individual lap times (that is, segments of a total elapsed time), and an alarm mode for activating and scheduling an alarm. It may also have a data mode for storing measured athletic information, such as previously recorded lap times. Still further, if the watch operates in conjunction with a sensor, such as a speed/distance monitor, then the watch may also have yet another mode of operation relating to the sensor.
The various operational modes of a conventional athletic watch can only be accessed by scrolling through each operational mode in sequence. Thus, in order for a user to switch from one operational mode to another operational mode, the user may have to scroll through several modes that the user does not wish to employ. Also, conventional athletic watches will display information in a fixed manner. Thus, an athletic watch may always show elapsed time information in a large font on a primary display, and only show heart rate information in a smaller font on a secondary display that is more difficult to read. On some occasions, however, an athlete may be more interested in his or her heart rate than in a total elapsed time. On these occasions, the athlete might prefer to have the heart rate information displayed in the larger font of the primary display, and have the elapsed time information displayed in the smaller font of the secondary display. Further, because of the number of additional functions now being incorporated into athletic watches, effectively controlling the consumption of power in these watches is more important than ever before.
Accordingly, there is a need for a watch or other portable electronic console that will allow the user to employ a variety of different electronic sensors for measuring athletic performance indicators. Still further, there is a need for a watch that can be more conveniently and easily used by athletes. In addition, there is a need for watch that efficiently conserves power when not in use.